


from the perfect start (to the finish line)

by Vilchen



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: And fluffy dogs, Don’t copy to another site, Fluff, Gen, animal death (mentioned), birthday fic, there’s more than one Victor in Yuuri’s life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:56:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vilchen/pseuds/Vilchen
Summary: «Come, come,» Nayamoto-san says and ushers them out of the car, holding the gate open for them. «They’re out back and I think they'll be very excited to meet our visitors!»Yuuri hears them long before he sees them; tiny, light pitched yips and whines; small, clawed paws on wood and one deeper, more commanding 'woof'. From around the corner, three exited, tail-wagging puppies stumble over each other in their haste to get to them.Yuuri, slack jawed and sparkly-eyed, falls down on his knees to greet them, wishing desperately for more hands to pet them all.Or: Three of Yuuri's birthdays with Vicchan by his side.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri & Vicchan (Yuri!!! on Ice)
Kudos: 13





	from the perfect start (to the finish line)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Youth" by Daughter

(My [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/vilchen) because for some reason I'm not allowed to put the link in the notes??)

**12th birthday**

Yuuri's parents had kept their lips tightly shut about why they were heading to Fukuoka, only watching with amusement as he vibrated in his seat. It was his birthday after all, and Yuuri had overheard them talking about a mystery 'friend' and 'how it’s time' and a secret 'gift' last night before he went to bed.

The scenery passes by in a green blur, the only changes being the occasional train stops and small towns between Hasetsu and Fukuoka. His Okaa-san eventually taps his shoulder and motions for him to pack up his backpack, and Yuuri is first in line when they stop to a screeching halt and the train doors finally open.

A woman with long, dark hair tied up in a massive bun is waiting for them with her car; she smiles widely and waves when she spots them, embracing his Okaa-san in a big hug once they've escaped the crowd.

«Hiroko-chan! I was so happy when you contacted me, it's been so long—but you look just the same, oh, and you must be Yuuri-kun, and Katsuki Toushyia-san, yes?»

Yuuri and his father creep into the backseat together while Hiroko and the lady—who'd introduced herself as Nayamoto Angela—chatter away in the front seats about their junior high days and what they’ve been up to for the last twenty years.

«Where are we going?» Yuuri whispers to his father, hoping he might crack now that they’re closer to the surprise and his Okaa-san is distracted.

«It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, now would it?» He says and ruffles Yuuri's hair.

Yuuri groans quietly and turns to look out the window instead. His phone vibrates in his pocket with a message and—grateful for the distraction—Yuuri pulls it out.

**_Yuuko:_ **

_Happy birthday! Mari said you and your parents were headed for Fukuoka, so I hope you have a great day!_

He smiles into the sleeve of his sweater and types out a quick response.

**_Yuuri:_ **

_Thanks, Yuu-chan! I think we might be here to pick up a present, but they won’t tell me anything :( We're still on for NHK Trophy at Ice Castle, right?_

**_Yuuko:_ **

_Of course! It would be so amazing if Victor made it into the GPF during his senior debut!_

Yuuri worries his lip and snaps the lid of his phone shut, pushing it back into his pocket before he goes back to gazing out the window. He'd had a tiny hope that his parents would get him tickets for the NHK Trophy in Sendai for his birthday, but that’s unlikely now that they’ve travelled all the way out here. Mari already got him the newest poster of Victor and a magazine she had to order online with an exclusive interview, and he and Yuuko will watch the GPF together again—hopefully with Victor as one of the competitors.

The car stops outside of a quaint, yellow house. Bright flowers in hand-painted flower pots are balanced on the window stills along with half full bird feeders, and a closed gate leads into what looks like a generously sized garden.

«Come, come,» Nayamoto-san says and ushers them out of the car, holding the gate open for them. «They’re out back and I think they'll be _very_ excited to meet our visitors.»

Yuuri hears them long before he sees them; tiny, light pitched yips and whines; small, clawed paws on wood and one deeper, more commanding 'woof'. From around the corner, three exited, tail-wagging puppies stumble over each other in their haste to get to them.

Yuuri, slack jawed and sparkly-eyed, falls down on his knees to greet them, wishing desperately for more hands to pet them all. An older, dignified mama poodle trots into sight and lays down in the sun some distance away to keep an eye on her pups, tail wagging weakly in greeting when Nayamoto-san ruffles her ears.

«Two girls, one boy, 12 weeks old and the first set of vaccinations have been taken care of. They’re all healthy by the looks of it, and my Aki here is the proud mama.»

Yuuri looks up at his parents, disbelief growing as they grin back at him.

«Well, you've wanted a dog for a long time now, and we thought now would be a good time to give you some extra responsibility. A dog is not a toy. They’ll be in your care and we expect you to take proper care of them,» his Okaa-san says sternly before her face splits into a wide grin. «Now? Happy?»

A teary laugh bubbles out of him and he nods enthusiastically, tries to bite his lip to keep from smiling but it’s a lost battle.

«Thank you, thank you, thank you— I promise I'll take good care of them forever and ever and this is _amazing!_ »

All three of the puppies are vying for his attention—one with curly, dark brown fur nibbles at his shoelaces while his sister licks his hands and jumps up at him, excited yips escaping her cream colored muzzle. The last one is all over the place, practically running in circles around him while her floppy ears bounce around her head.

Yuuri's hand finds its way into the last one's soft, curly fur, and she finally stands still long enough for him to get a proper look at her. Big, brown puppy eyes, a lolling tongue, tail wagging excitedly behind her and her fur a warm, chocolate color.

She reminds Yuuri of the new poster from Mari, the one he’d just hung up today. Victor Nikiforov wrapped in a scarf and a fashionable coat with his long hair spilling like a waterfall down his shoulders, kneeling on the ground and beaming with an arm slung around a fluffy standard poodle. Makkachin was her name. There’d been an interview in that magazine, and if Yuuri hadn’t already been a grade A dog-lover, Victor would’ve made him one through the enthusiasm shining through in his answers alone.

Yuuri holds up mini-Makkachin to his face. She yips and licks his nose approvingly, and Yuuri _melts._

«This one,» he says.

An hour or so later, with the paperwork out of the way and their train set to leave in forty-five minutes, Yuuri has his puppy—his Vicchan—in a carrier. A bag of goodies is hidden in his pocket for the ride home, and Yuuri has already texted a dozen pictures to Yuuko, Mari, Minako, and even some to Nishigori.

Nayamoto-san's son has agreed to drive them back to the train station and is already waiting in the car. Yuuri closes the gate behind him, careful not to jostle Vicchan's carrier.

«Oh, and Yuuri,» Nayamoto-san calls after him. He looks over his shoulder at her where she’s kneeling on the ground, one hand resting on Aki's furry head and with a big, toothy smile on her face.

«Happy birthday.»

* * *

**19th birthday** ****

Yuuri steps off the ice, panting but happy because he knows, _knows_ that with this performance he’s redeemed his failure from Skate Canada, and although it won’t take him to the final Yuuri knows that Yuuko, his parents, Mari and Minako are watching him right now. Maybe they’re even proud of him.

Celestino tells him as much in the kiss and cry, crushes him in a one-arm hug as they announce his scores—his best of the season, undoubtedly, and coupled with his decent short from the previous day it might just be enough to secure him a spot on the podium.

«Katsuki-kun!» Someone calls, and Yuuri automatically seeks out the only Japanese interviewer among the press. Morooka-san has followed his career with interest since juniors, and it’s always a relief to see a friendly face and hear his own language spoken out loud when everything around him is foreign and new.

«That was a phenomenal skate out there, Katsuki-san—how are you feeling?»

Yuuri leans away from the mic shoved just a bit too close for comfort and smiles awkwardly. It’s always the same questions after a skate, but considering how Yuuri and his feelings have been at constant war lately, no immediate answer comes to mind.

«Uh, it’s... It feels good,» he says, still breathing quite heavily from his skate. «I feel like I finally managed to show what I’m capable of today, and even though I'm not going to the final, I hope both my family and the rest of Japan were proud to watch me.»

Yuuri is about to bow and disappear into the crowd, but Morooka snatches the mic back to himself before he gets the chance.

«This is your first GP in the senior circuit, yes? You moved from your hometown Hasetsu to the States just over a year ago to work under coach Celestino Cialdini; are you disappointed that you weren’t assigned to the NHK Trophy this year?» 

Now this question Yuuri _does_ know how to answer. Both Phichit and Celestino had shot him pitying looks when the assignments came out—Yuuri had been so sure they’d send him to Japan and was therefore woefully unprepared when they sent him to Skate Canada and Cup of China instead. 

«I’m grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Grand Prix, regardless of where they send me, but it would be nice to visit home,» he admits. «My parents run the Yu-Topia onsen and there’s nothing that really compares to soaking in the hot springs after competitions—» Advertising is the least he can do, «—and I definitely miss my dog, Vicchan.»

Morooka nods solemnly and finally removes the mic from his face. «Hopefully you’ll soon be reunited with your dog, but until then; good luck at Nationals! We hope to see you at Four Continents and Worlds in the coming season, Katsuki-san.»

Yuuri mumbles out a ‘thank you’ and bows stiffly before he can finally make his escape.

* * *

Two weeks later, on the 29th, Yuuri wakes up to handful of birthday texts on his phone, ranging from Yuuko’s permission to finally open her gift which he’d received two days ago with strict instructions not to open—the newest Victor poster goes straight up with the others, and the picture of the infant triplets is safely stored in his bedside drawer—, a reminder from Minako to stretch properly and send her a video of his progress, and a 'happy birthday' text from his parents, telling him that a care package should be on its way.

Yuuri hits play on a thirty second long video from Mari, simply titled ‘for yuuri’.

The camera is pointed towards the tv where Yuuri recognizes himself and Morooka-san, right after his free at the Cup of China. The chatter of the guests drowns out what’s being said on the television. Yuuri recognizes the back of Minako-sensei’s head and his Otou-san’s form moves in and out of the frame as he serves dishes from the kitchen and carries out empty plates. Vicchan weaves between guests to reach the television, tail wagging and uncaring of the hands occasionally reaching out to brush through her fur.

«Hushh, be quiet—Yuuri’s on tv!» Minako hisses and elbows another patron mid-laugh. «Someone turn up the volume!»

«…it would be nice to visit home. My parents run the Yu-Topia onsen—»

«Attaboy, Yuuri!» His Otou-san cheers, sparking some chuckles among the guests.

«—there’s nothing that really compares to soaking in the hotsprings after competitions. And I definitely miss my dog, Vicchan.»

At the sound of her name, Vicchan yips excitedly and jumps to place her front paws on the tv table, tail wagging so fast that it blurs on his phone screen, sparking yet another wave of laughter from the guests.

The video cuts a couple seconds later, and beneath is a text from Mari:

**_Mari:_ **

_happy birthday_

**_Mari:_ **

_she misses you_

**_Yuuri:_ **

_💙💙💙💙💙💙_

**_Yuuri:_ **

_Maybe I’ll visit after Nationals_

* * *

**24th birthday** ****

Yuuri slides the door shut quietly and keeps his head bowed downwards. He breathes in deeply through his nose, holds it there for one, two, three seconds and lets it carry away the tension in his shoulders on its way out.

They use this room quite a lot for storage and private time away from the buzz of customers, but in the dim light of the in-between night and morning sky it looks old and abandoned. He and Mari used to play hide-and-seek in here, a long time ago.

Yuuri makes his way to Vicchan’s shrine, soundless on his bare feet.

There's a bouquet of wilting flowers in a vase he can’t remember them having before. He brushes away the fallen petals and reaches for the box of matchsticks left out; it takes three times for his shaking hands to light it. He brings the match to a bundle of incense and watches the smoke curl and twist in the air—Yuuri breathes it in and lets the familiar sent nest deeply in his lungs.

He shuffles closer to the wall and lets his head fall back with a dull thump. Mari and his parents will get up soon to prepare for the guests; make breakfast, fold yesterday’s laundry, tidy up the dining hall. Victor will expect him at the rink, energized and ready to seduce him before going out for a birthday lunch at the unagi-ya he’s been pleading for Yuuri to try with him.

Yuuri closes his eyes and—for the first time in five years—he spends his birthday with Vicchan.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna crawl back into my hole in the ground and sleep now. (responsibilities?? never heard of.) Sorely unedited :')
> 
> Feel free to yell(gently) at me in the comments. or, you know. scream my head off on tumblr. 
> 
> your choice.


End file.
